CHAPTER 5 - TRANSFORMATION
In a barren desert, stood a small malnourished child, blackened with soot and charred clothes.
Next to him was the dagger that was gifted to him on his third birthday. The blade had shattered, leaving only the handle behind.
Set fell on his knees and began to cry. He didn’t know what else to do but cry. These past four years, he had begun to realize a few things.
He was naive.
In this world, dying was a norm. Being an adventurer was an extreme risk that many would take in hopes of a better future. He was naive to think that he was ready to take on the big world when reality had it that he was a frog at the bottom of the well.
Lucan protected him. That fireball wasn’t meant to kill him, but blast him far enough away from the Wolf King. It was a gamble, a million things could have gone wrong, but he bet it all on Set’s body.
Set picked up the dagger hilt. This life that you have traded, I will see it through to the end.
Days, weeks, months, he didn’t know how much time had passed since he slogged his way to a civilization.
He stopped. Why does it seem like I’ve seen this exact scenery before? Using the remaining mana he had, he casted [Flame Wall] and then started to sprint in a straight line away from it. Just as he suspected, the wall appeared right in front of him again.
An illusion? Was I already in one when I woke up?
Noticing his suspicion, a voice resounded throughout the formation. “Who are you?”
A child? Set looked around to find the source but was unable to see anything. “Why are you keeping me here?”
“Who are you?” The voice spoke out again impatiently.
“I’m Set! I woke up here and I don’t know where I’m at!” Any person who could trap him here would most likely be able to kill him instantly.
“Are you… a good person?”
Set stood there contemplating. What defines a good person? It’s not like there was a universal rulebook that dictated every human’s morals and what they are allowed to do. “Yes. I believe I am.”
The voice let out a playful laugh. “I already knew that before I asked. Now can you tell me why your body exudes the primordial mana?”
“The what?” Set looked at his hands to see that they were completely ordinary, albeit a little thin.
“The primordial mana, mana that had existed since the beginning of time itself, the basis of every spell. I have not seen mana that pure since forever.”
Could it be from the stone? If I told him what happened, would he kill me?
“Well, in any case,” the voice spoke out before Set could think. “I wanna come with you on your journey. This place is so boring!”
The illusion suddenly shattered. Set looked around and had found himself inside a cave. A figure coalesced into a small red dragon that looked straight at Set with an innocent gaze. “Follow me!” The dragon took off without an answer.
Set followed the dragon through the twists and turns of the cave, only to arrive at a pedestal with a bright red crystal on it. “This entire place was made by my older brother after I died. He left without any warning though, so I hope to find him one day.”
“If you died, how are you talking to me right now?”
“My brother told me that when a monster is powerful enough, their spirits will still remain in the world for a long time after their death if their core hasn’t completely fizzled out yet.”
“Do you know how long it would be until your core fizzles out?”
“Umm, maybe not for another 300 years or so…”
300 years! This was longer than any human could ever live back in his world, at least three times as much, and it looked like the dragon had been alive for multiple centuries already!
“H-how old would you be if you were still alive?”
“I think I would be... four thousand this year!” The dragon said after a moment of contemplation.
“Four-” Set wanted to bang his head on a wall. Just how much could a person accomplish if they had forty lifetimes?
“Say, can you take me with you? I want to travel the world before my life ends.” The dragon looked at Set with pleading eyes, afraid that he would say no.
“I can’t just bring your monster core around with me right? That would only endanger both of us and I’m not strong enough to take care of anyone yet.”
“That’s easy! You just absorb my monster core and I will be able to follow you without worry!”
“Is this place safe? Could anyone just randomly stumble upon this place while I absorb your core?”
“Not unless I want them to! So that means you’ll be taking me then?!” The dragon spirit flew around in joy.
Set didn’t notice it at first but now that he was in close proximity to the core, every single cell in his body craved that crystal. It was taking everything he had in order to not eat it right away. “Once I start absorbing this crystal, I might go to sleep for a long period of time. I won’t be able to do anything so I’ll be relying on your place to keep me safe!”
“Okay!”
Set picked up the crystal and swallowed it in one gulp.
[??? Core 2 out of 9: Ignis the Fire Dragon has been absorbed]
[Ability gained: Summon Ignis - Summons Ignis the Fire Dragon]
[Ability gained: Fire Breath - Allows the user to blow fire out of their mouth]
[Affinity upgraded: All fire spells will now be twice as strong]
[Excess Mana detected]
[Enough Mana has been detected for a Core Upgrade]
[Evolving User Core]
All of a sudden, blood shot out of Set’s body in all directions. All seven orifices of Set’s face had bled out. His entire body started to show cracks, threatening to crumble down at any second. He convulsed violently on the floor. All the blood that shot out of his body had turned black, riddled with impurities. Set screamed in pain. Every cell in his body was being replaced, down to his very bones. This was the worst pain that he had ever felt in two lifetimes.
Once his convulsions stopped, the cracks in his body became more and more prominent, until it finally shattered. Hidden beneath the cracks was a body that glowed a pure white, smooth to the touch.
It was impossible for Set to tell right now, but the stone in his heart had begun to shine a bright green.
[Putting host to sleep, Estimated Time: 3 Months]
